SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                    FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                       DATE OF REPORT: June 1, 2001



                         COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 0-14703


                                NBT BANCORP INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                               DELAWARE 16-1268674
          (State of Incorporation) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

                  52 SOUTH BROAD STREET NORWICH, NEW YORK 13815
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

       Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (607)-337-2265

                                       N/A
          (Former Name or Former Address, If changed since last Report)



Item 5 - Other Events We attach the registrants press release of June 1, 2001 announcing that the merger of First National Bancorp, Inc. with and into NBT Bancorp Inc. was completed on June 1, 2001. Item 7 - Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits. (a) Not Applicable. (b) Not Applicable. (c) Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed with this Current Report or incorporated by reference into this Current Report on Form 8-K: Exhibit Number Description - ------- ----------- 99.1 NBT Bancorp Inc. press release dated June 1, 2001. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report on Form 8-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized, this 4th day of June, 2001. NBT BANCORP INC. /s/ Michael J. Chewens By: ______________________________________ Michael J. Chewens Executive Vice President

                                  EXHIBIT 99.1

             NBT Bancorp Inc. Press Release dated June 1, 2001.

                                                                     Page 1 of 2


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATTENTION: FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS EDITORS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBT Contact:   Daryl R. Forsythe
               607-337-6416

                           Filed by NBT Bancorp Inc.
                           Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
                           and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the
                           Securities Act of 1934.
                           Subject Company: First National Bancorp, Inc.
                           Commission File No.: 000-14703

            NBT BANCORP COMPLETES MERGER WITH FIRST NATIONAL BANCORP

     NORWICH,  NY (JUNE 1, 2001) - NBT Bancorp Inc. (NBT) announced that the
merger of First  National  Bancorp,  Inc.  (FNB) with and into NBT was completed
today.  The merger agreement also included the merger of FNB's  subsidiary,  the
First National Bank of Northern New York, into NBT Bank, N.A.

     "We are pleased to welcome the  employees  and  customers  of the First
National  Bank of Northern New York into our  company,"  commented NBT President
and CEO  Daryl R.  Forsythe.  The six  offices  of the  First  National  Bank of
Northern New York, located in Canton, Malone, Massena,  Norfolk,  Ogdensburg and
Potsdam,  will continue to conduct business as such until the systems conversion
scheduled  for this summer has been  completed.  At that time,  they will become
offices of NBT Bank.

     Thomas E. Place,  President of the First National Bank of Northern New York
stated,  "We are  pleased to have  completed  this  merger and  secured  for our
customers a  relationship  with an  institution  that is  committed to community
banking and the  delivery of quality  products and  service."  Place will retire
from his  position at the close of business  today  following a 41 year  banking
career, including 16 years serving the First National Bank of Northern New York.

     Martin A. Dietrich,  President and Chief Operating  Officer for NBT Bank,
added,  "We are  excited  about our  opportunity  to build on the  tradition  of
community  banking  established by the First National Bank of Northern New York.
When the systems  conversion is completed this summer,  our new customers in the
North  Country will have access to an expanded  array of financial  products and
services  and a  larger  network  of  bank  offices  and  ATMs."  Following  the
conversion,  NBT Bank will  conduct  business  from 12 offices  and nine ATMs in
Clinton,  Essex, Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties. NBT Bank's physical network

Page 2 of 2 will include a total of 43 community bank offices in 12 Upstate New York counties and 61 ATMs. NBT Bancorp is a financial services holding company headquartered in Norwich, New York with combined assets of $2.6 billion at March 31, 2001. The company currently operates through three full-service community banking divisions and a financial services company, including NBT Bank with 37 locations serving Central and Northern New York, First National Bank of Northern New York with six locations, Pennstar Bank with 40 locations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and NBT Financial Services, Inc., which includes M. Griffith, Inc., and Pennstar Financial Services, Inc. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of NBT Bancorp and its subsidiaries and on the information available to management at the time that these statements were made. There are a number of factors, many of which are beyond NBT's control, that could cause actual conditions, events or results to differ significantly from those described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, among others, the following possibilities: (1) competitive pressures among depository and other financial institutions may increase significantly; (2) revenues may be lower than expected; (3) changes in the interest rate environment may reduce interest margins; (4) general economic conditions, either nationally or regionally, may be less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality and/or a reduced demand for credit; (5) legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards, may adversely affect the businesses in which NBT is engaged; (6) costs or difficulties related to the integration of the businesses of NBT and its merger partners may be greater than expected; (7) expected cost savings associated with recent and pending mergers and acquisitions may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frames; (8) deposit attrition, customer loss, or revenue loss following pending mergers and acquisitions may be greater than expected; (9) competitors may have greater financial resources and develop products that enable such competitors to compete more successfully than NBT; and (10) adverse changes may occur in the securities markets or with respect to inflation. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. NBT Bancorp does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent circumstances or events. # # #